Privacy Policy - Holborn Carpet Cleaners

Holborn Carpet Cleaners is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Holborn area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, store, and protect personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to all Holborn Carpet Cleaners customers in the area, including anyone who makes an enquiry, requests a quotation, books a service, or receives carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning, or related services from us.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information that is necessary to provide our services, manage customer relationships, and meet legal obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity details such as your name, and where relevant the name of a business or property manager.
Contact details such as telephone number, email address, and service address.
Service information such as booking details, cleaning preferences, property access instructions, and records of services carried out.
Billing and payment details such as invoice information, payment status, and transaction records. We do not store card details unless this is required by the payment provider and lawfully permitted.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and complaints or feedback you provide.
Technical data such as limited website or device information if you contact us online, including IP address or browser data where applicable.

We do not intentionally collect special category data, such as health information, unless it is strictly necessary for a specific service request and you choose to provide it. If that occurs, we will handle it with extra care and only where a lawful basis applies.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To schedule, deliver, and manage cleaning services.
To process payments, issue invoices, and keep financial records.
To communicate about appointments, service changes, and aftercare.
To manage complaints, claims, or service issues.
To maintain internal records and improve our services.
To comply with legal, accounting, and tax obligations.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud or misuse.

We will always ensure that the use of your data is relevant, limited, and fair. We will not use your personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected unless we have informed you or another lawful basis applies.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Holborn Carpet Cleaners relies on the following bases:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes handling bookings, carrying out cleaning services, issuing invoices, and managing customer requests linked to a service agreement.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer records, improving service quality, handling complaints, and protecting against fraud or misuse.

Legal Obligation

We process certain information when required to comply with the law, including accounting, tax, insurance, and regulatory obligations. This may include retaining invoices and transaction records for the required legal period.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example if you agree to receive certain types of optional marketing communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect processing that happened before consent was withdrawn.

4. Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver services. These third parties may act as processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances.

Examples of processors may include:

Payment service providers who handle transactions securely.
Accounting and bookkeeping providers who assist with invoicing, tax, and financial records.
IT and cloud service providers who store or support our business systems.
Booking or customer management software providers who help manage appointments and records.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, or legal advisers where necessary.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, to use it only on our instructions, and to comply with data protection law. We do not sell personal data.

We may also disclose data if required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our customers, staff, or business. If data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable law.

5. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for holding it.

Customer service records are usually retained for as long as needed to manage the relationship and resolve any service-related matters.
Financial and tax records are kept for the period required by law and accounting rules.
Communication records may be retained for a reasonable period to help with ongoing customer support, complaints, or evidence of instructions.
Marketing consent records are kept until you withdraw consent or until they are no longer needed.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed. We regularly review what we hold to ensure we do not keep information for longer than necessary.

6. Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and limited access to records on a need-to-know basis.

While we work to protect your information, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will take appropriate action in accordance with data protection law.

7. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and any legal exemptions. They include:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to data portability – you can ask for certain data to be provided in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond within the time limits set by law. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before acting on your request. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

8. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults or for properties managed by adults. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary for a service and provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised adult. If we learn that we have collected data from a child without appropriate authority, we will take steps to delete it where required.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or how we handle personal data. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect their information.

10. Summary of Our Commitment

Holborn Carpet Cleaners respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal data in a lawful, transparent, and secure way. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it only as long as necessary, and rely on trusted processors where appropriate. Most importantly, we recognise your rights and will work to support them in a prompt and respectful manner.